Folding-machine.



A. MALM.

FOLDING MACHiNE.

APPLICATION FILED no.2. 1912.

Patented June 15, 1915.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 1- Shun W01 A. MALM.

FOLDING MACHINE.

APPLICATION man 082.2, 1912.

1 1 42, 828. P atented J um 15, 1915.

4 SHET8--SHEET 2.

Save/M01,

6KAWAQ a mm;

A. MALM.

FOLDING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED mac. 2.1912. I

Patented June 15, 1915.

4 MEETS-SHEET &

if a: 4,

A. MALM.

FOLDING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED 0:0.2. m2.

Patenteil J 11110 15, 1915.

SMEETSSHEET 4.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

AXEL MALM, OF DAYTON, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE EGRY REGISTER COMPANY, OF

2 DAYTON, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO.

FOLDING-MACHINE.

Application filed December 2, 1912. Serial No. 734,486.

Toall whom it may concern Be it known that I, AXEL MALM, a citizen of the United States, residing at Dayton, in the county of .Montgomery and State of Ohio, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in Folding-Machines, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying draw-. mg. v

This invention relates to folding machines.

The object of thesame is to provide a ma= chine which will forma continuous longitudinal fold in a web ofpaper or similar material; which will operate at a high rate of speed; which can be'adjusted to form the fold along different longitudinal lines; and which will forn'rthe fold accurately along the line to which it is adjusted. I

The present invention is designed more particularly for folding paper for use in manifolding machines where three or more sheets are usually arranged one upon the I other to provide a corresponding number of (E-010188 of the record that is made.

It is, therefore, a further object of the invention to providea machine which will form a plurality of folds in a web of paper, arranging the several portions of the Web accuratelyone upon the other.

A further object of the invention is to provide means for rewinding the folded web; and further to provide the machine as a whole and the several parts'thereof of a simple, durable construction which will not be easily disarranged'or rendered inoperative.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1. 1s a side elevation. of a machine embodying 'my invention; 2 is a rear elevation of the same; Fig. 3 is a top, plan view of the same; Fig. 1 is a detail view of theadj'ustin 1 device for the paper roll; Fig. 5 is a de tail view of the tension device for the paper roll; Fig. 6 is a detail sectional view of the friction drive for the rewinding reel; Fig. 7;

mately square and of a height much greater than its length'and breadth. This frame is provided, preferably near its upper end, with a support for a web of paper. The paper which is to be folded usually comes from a printing press'where blank forms have been printed thereon and isusually in the form of a roll. Therefore, I have here shown the web-supporting device as comprising a shaft 2 rotatably mounted on transverse frame members 3 and adapted to extend through a roll of paper, such as indicated at 4. The web of paper is adjustable longitudinally on the shaft to position the same with reference to the folding devices proper and to cause a fold to be made along the desired longitudinal line. As here shown, the roll is adjusted so that the line along which the fold is made is spaced from one edge of the web a distance equal to exactly one-third of the Width of the web. While the adjustment of the roll along the shaft may be accomplished in various ways a very simple method of accomplishing this is by adjusting the tapered cores 5, which are mounted on the shaft 2, extend into the ends of the roll and are rig idly secured to the shaft to secure the roll.

in position thereon. With this adjustment it is possible to place the roll in any desired position but it is rather diflicult to secure finc adjustments thereof and I have, therefore, provided means for making finer adjustmcnts of the paper-roll. To this end I have rigidly secured to one end of the shaft 2, which extends beyond the frame member 3, a collar (5 having an annular groove 7 adapted to receive a finger 8 carried by a sleeve 9 journaled on a short shaft 10, one end of which is screwthreade'd, as indicated at 11 and mounted in a screw-threaded open ing 12 in the frame member 3. The shaft 10 is. provided with a hand wheel or other gripping device 13 by means of which it may be rotated and thus adjusted longitudinally with relation to the frame member 3. The sleeve 9 is confined between the hand Wheel 13 and a collar 14 rigidly secured to the shaft and is thus caused to move with the shaft, thereby imparting a. corresponding movement to the collar 6 and the shaft 2 to which it is secured. The sleeve. 9 is held against twisting or binding by an arm 15 extending from that side thereof opposite the finger 8 and ha ing an opening to receive a rod 16 pu'ojccting from the frame member 3. It is desirable that the paper should be subjected to a suitable tension to prevent the same from unwinding too rapidly. For this purpose a suitable band brake has been rovided and I have utilized the drum 6 0 the adjusting device for the drum of the brake. A flexible band 1? is rigidly secured at one end to thelower side of the sleeve 9, extends about the drum 6 and is secured at its upper end to a bolt 18 having a screw-threaded portion extending through an arm 19 rigidlysecured to and projecting upwardly from the sleeve 9. A thumb nut 20 is mounted on the screw-threaded end of the bolt 18 and serves to adjust the same to tighten or loosen the tension band 17.

The folding device proper comprises a guide plate shaped to form the initial fold in the web and folding rollers tocomplete the fold. In the present embodiment of the invention the folding rollers, which are shown at 21, are journaled in transverse members 22 of the frame 1 and extend at substantially right angles to the web-supporting shaft 2. These rollers are adjustable along the supporting frame members 22 to enable them to be properly positioned with reference to the web of paper and to the coiiperating folding devices. As here shown the supporting frame members are provided with longitw dinal slots 23 and the rollers are provided with hearing blocks 24 and 25, respectively, slidably mounted in the slots. The bearing blocks 25 have clamping plates 26 secured thereto by means of bolts 27 and overlapping the edges of the groove, whereby the bearing blocks 25 may be rigidly secured in adjusted positions. Preferably, one of the rollers is yieldably mounted with reference to the other roller, and, to that end, the bearing blocks 24 of the other roller are movably mounted in the slots 23 and said other roller is held in proper relation to the first-mentioned roller by means of s rings 28 confined between the bearing locks 24 and blocks 29 adjustably mounted in the slots 23 and secured in position therein by means of clamping plates 30 and bolts 31. One of the rollers is provided with a pulley 32 driven by a belt 33 from. a suitable source of power which will be hereinafter described, and the two rollers are connected one to the other by means of gears 34, whereby they are caused to move in unison in opposite directions.

The guide or folding" plate; whicarorms the initial fold in the web of aper, is interposed between the support or the web of paper and the folding rollers'21 and has a portion tapered to a point, which point terminates close to the folding rollers 21 and is arranged substantially in the vertical plane extending between the adjacent surfaces of said rollers. In the present instance this folding plate, which is'shown' at 35, is triangular in shape and has its flat surface arranged at an inclination to the horizontal plane of the foldin rollers, as clearly shown in Fig. 1. This inc ination of the plate preferably corresponds substantially to the angle formed by the converging edges of the lplate which,as stated, taper to a point. The folding plate 35 is ad'ustably supported by means of an arm. 36 w ich is rigidly secured thereto at a oint between its upper and lower ends and extends rearwardly and then upwardly and is secured at its upper end to a transverse bar 37 which is ad'ustably mounted in vertical slots 38 forme in the adjacent vertical members of the main frame 1. If desired, a second arm 39 may project from the upper ortion of the plate and be connected with tile bar 37 to impart greater rigidity to the folding plate, An arm 40 is adjustably secured to the rearwardly projecting portion of the arm 36 and extends rearwardly and downwardly and is rigidly secured at its lower end to the rear frame member 22. tween the arms 40 and 36 may be of any suitable character but is here shown as formed by providing the arm 40 with a slot 41 and connecting the same to the arm 36 by means of a bolt 42. It will be obvious that by loosening the bolt 42 and adjusting the bar 37 vertically in the slots 38 the inclination of the folding plate 35 may be varied, it being understood that the ends of the bar 37, which extend through the slots, are rounded to permit the bar to accommodate itself to the varying inclinations of the plate. The arm 40 holds the bar 36 and the apex of the plate against vertical movement toward or away from the rollers, thus enabling the plate to be adjusted without ma- The adjustable connection beterially altering the relation of the apex of the plate to the rollers. The folding plate is provided at its upper edge with a guide,

such as a roller 43, to protect the paper as it passes over the edge thereof.

In order that the paper may pass properly over the upper end of the folding plate a guide roller 44 is mounted in the upper portions of the vertical frame members and the web of paper is carried from the paper roll across the upper end of the folding plate by the roller 44, thence upward and over the roller 43 which is carried by the upper edge of the folding plate. Prefer-jably, the roller 44 is positively driven and has also the function of a feeding roller. To this end it is provided with a pulley 45 which is actuated by a belt 46 extending over an idler or belt tightener 47 and about or tapered edges of the plate with the apex I i of the plate at the line where it is desired to make the fold. In this manner the initial 13o fold is made and thetwo portions of the paper are arranged side by side. in )vhich position they pass between the folding rollers 21. Preferably, the apex of the folding plate lies close to-and in the plane of the adjacent surfaces of the folding rollers. Thus, the paper passes directly from the plate to the rollers and the fold is completed and a distinct crease formed by these rollers. If a single fold only is to be formed i the paper the operation is now completed, but the present machine is designed for forming a double fold and arranging the three portions of the Web one upon the other. Therefore, a second folding device substantially similar to that just described is provided. This second device comprises a pair of fold iaig rollers 49 arranged at right angles to the folding rollers 21 and some distance below the same. These rollers are connected one to the other and are driven from a pulley 50 in substantially the same manner as the rollers 21 are connected and driven. An inclined tapered folding plate 51 is adjust ably supported between the rollers 21 and the rollers 49 with its apex in the vertical plane extendin between the adjacent surfaces of the roTlers 49. The folding plate 51 is free at its upper and lower edges and is supported bv means of an arm 52 con nected thereto between its ends and secured to a bar 53 adjustably mounted in a slotted frame member 54. The web of paper from the folding rollers downward be;

tween a pair of feeding rollers 55 mounted in the slotted frame members 54. These feeding rollers are adjustably mounted in substantially the same manner as are the folding rollers 21 and are connected one to the other in a siurilar manner. One of the rollers is provided with a bevel gear 56 meshing with a corresponding gear 57 on a shaft 58 having at its opposite end a gear 59 connected through an idle gear 60 with a gear 1 on the drhing shaft The folded web of pa per passes from the feeding rollers upward about the upper end of the folding plate 51 and thence downward between the folding rollerstt which complete the doubie fold. The folded web of paper passes from the lower folding rollers 49 between positi'. ely driven feeding rollers 63 to a rewinding reel or drum 64. The roll- 'ers 63 are av'ljustablymounted in a slotted frame member 65 and one of them is provided with a sprocket wheel 66 which is driven by a. sprocket chain 67 from a sprocket Wheel 68 on the driving shaft 62. The foldrd vb of pa per plight pass directly from the feeding rollers 63 to the reel 64 but I prefer, particularly .v'th ti o fern: of reelhem shown, to cause the same to pass about guide rods to impose a certain amount of friction thrreon and thus facilitate tbr pr per rewinding thereof. have, there fore. provided tvvo such guide bars. which are shown at 69 and 70, respectively, and about which the paper passes before it reaches the reel.

The rewinding device comprises a shaft 71'having thereon a pulley 72 by means of which it is positively driven through a belt '73 from a corresponding pulley 74 on the positively driven feed roller 63. The reel 61 comprises an oblong drum or reel proper 75 having at one end a flange 76. This oblong drum is designed to receive a tube of cardboard or other suitable material which forms a core upon which the folded paper is rewound. This core is preferably formed directly upon the drum by folding a strip of cardboard about the same and pasting'the ends together, indicated at 77. To hold the core against movement on the drum 75 a grij'ipmg device 18 provided which comprises a plunger 78 carried by an enlarged nut or hand grip 79 which is screwthreaded onto a stud 80 mounted Within the drum 75. The point of the plunger arranged in alincment with an opening Si in the opposite side of the drum 75 and by rotating the same the point may be caused to project through the opening in the drum and engage the core which has been formed on the same. thus holding the core against longitmlinal movement until it is desired to near ;c it therriroiu. The oblv'mg shape of thr revvinding reel muses the paper to be wound snugly about the same. but to prevent the shock caused by the engagement of the end portimis the reel with the paper from being too gre t ahd injuring the Web I prefer to interpase t 'etion de icc betueen the drum and the dr ving met-mu nisni. To this end i haxe rigidly secured t6 the driving pulley 72 a friction disk 82 which coiiperates with a corresponding fric tion disk 8-3 rigidly ed to the shaft Tl adjacent to the reel; ling il' dil. The fricti sn is rout/rolled by minus of a nut f and a spring confined betwran 1. to net and the pulley 72.

The machine may be driven from any suitable source of power and as here shomn the driving shaft (32 is providrd with a driving pulley 86 to receive the power belt ard with a belt shifting device 7 to shift the belt from the power pulley to an idle pulley S8 and vice versa, this belt shifting dei ice being provided with a handle or lever 89 by means of which it may be actuated from the A hand wheel 90 is frrnt of the machine. mounted on the power shaft to enable the 1nechani;'-in to be rotated by hand during the threading up process. that is. vrhen a iveb of paper is being started through the machine.

The opera in of the mechanism will be 1 adilv under; ood'freiu the foregoing deription and it will be apparentthut the Web of paper may be drawn through the maover said folding chine at a relatively high rate of speed and that the fold will. be accurately formed along the desired longitudinal line; and further, that the parts may be adjusted to form the fold or folds along different lines.

' lVhile I have sh own and described one embodiment of my invention it will be understood that this has been chosen for the purpose of illustration only and that I do not desire to be limited to the details of construction shown and described, for obvious modifications will occur to a person skilled in the art.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure b y Letters Patent, is

1. A machine of the character-described comprising a frame, means for su porting a roll of paper on said frame and fbr adjusting the same axially of said support, a triangular folding plate having its base ad'acent to said roll of paper and substantially parallel with the axis thereof, a pair of folding rollers arranged near the apex of said triangular plate, extending transversely to the axis of said roll of paper and adjustable in a direction parallel with the axis of said roll of paper and transversely to the apex of said triangular plate, said folding plate being arranged at an inclination to said folding rollers, and means for positively feeding the paper from said roll, over said plate and through said folding rollers.

QVA machine of the character described comprising a frame, means for supporting a roll of paper on said frame and for adjusting the same axially of said support, a triangular folding plate having its base adjacent to said roll of paper and substantially parallel with the axis thereof, a pair of folding rollers arranged near the apex of said triangular plate. extending transversely to the axis of said roll of paper and adjustable in a direction parallel with the axis of said roll of paper and transversely to the apex of said triangular plate, said folding plate being arranged at an inclination to said folding rollers, means to adjust the inclination of said folding plate and. to maintain the apex thereof in proper relation to said folding rollers when adjusted to different angles, and means to feed the paper from said roll rollers.

3. A machine of the character described comprising a frame, a support for a web of paper carried by said frame, a pair of folding rollers arranged adjacent to said support, an inclined tapered folding plate interposed between said support and said folding rollers and having its apex close to the adjacent surfaces of said folding rollers, means to adjust the angle of inclination of said folding plate and maintain the same in proper relation to said folding rollers when plate between said folding comprising a frame, means to support a web of paper in adjusted positions on said frame, a folding plate having two of its edges converging away from said support for said web of paper, a pair of folding rollers adjustably mounted adjacent to said plate and arranged to receive the web of apcr from said folding plate, said folding plate being arranged at an inclination to said rollers, a bar mounted on said frame for adjustment toward and away from said rollers, and a connection between said folding plate and said bar.

5. A machine of the character described comprising an upright frame, a support for a web of paper mounted on said frame near the upper end thereof, a pair of folding rollers arranged on said frame below said support, an inclined tapered folding plate interposed between said support and said folding rollers and having its apex arranged close to the adjacent surfaces of said rollers, a bar mounted for vertical adjustment on said frame, and a connection between said bar and said folding plate.

6. A machine of the character described comprising a frame, a support for a web of paper carried by said frame, a pair of fold ing rollers arranged to receive the paper after it leaves said support, a bar adj ustably mounted on said frame, an inclined tapered folding plate secured to said adjustable bar, interposed between said support and said folding rollers and having its apex close to the adjacent surfaces of said folding rollers, and means to limit the movement of said plate toward said folding rollers.

7. A machine of the character described comprising a frame, a support for a web of paper carried by said frame, a pair of folding rollers arranged to receive the paper after it leaves said support, a bar adjustably mounted on said frame, an inclined tapered folding plate secured to said adjustable bar,

8. In a machine of the character described, i

a inain frame, a shaft rotatably mounted on said main frame near the top thereof and adapted to support a roll of paper, a pair of folding rollers arranged below said shaft and at right angles thereto, a triangular folding plate having one edge arranged parallel with said shaft and having its apex adjacent to said folding rollers and arr-1mg Y1 Quhstuntially in the vertical plane passing between the same, a, bar mounted for vertical adjustment on Silltl frame, means for my neeting snirfl folding plate with said hm, and a rewintling device arranged. beyond Sfiitl folding rollers.

9. In a machine of the character described, a main frame, a shaft rotatably mounted on said main lrzune near the (0p thereof nn l adapted to support a roll at paper :1, pair of folcling rollers arranged belie-iv said rhul't. nnrl at right angles therete, l1 triangular folding plate having fine edge arranged parallel with said shaft and having its apex adjacent to said l'nlltling rollers and arranged substantially in the verti lcal plane passing between the same, a bar ninunteil for vertical adjustment on said lramer an arm rigidly secured to said folding plate between its ends and comiced to suirl adjustable bar, a second arm ncl listahly :urmi to the. lirstmeir tinned arm and liming; l ne nil QUIIIIOCtGtl with a fixed part el' shill frame. and a Winding device arrange-ll lle vnnrl said fOliTling rollers.

10. In a. machine oi the character ilescrihetl, the ceinhinnl en, with. 21 frame :1 sha ft mounted on said frame ltl adapted to support a roll of paper, 1:. pair of inkling rollers arranged beneath said shell; and at right angles therein, an inclined triangular folding plate lI iClI'lOFQLl between said shaft and said fnltling rollers and having one mlv'e substantially parallel with said shrill ll 1 tively driven roll interposed betwe n will shaft and rluiil fulrling plane and arranged substantially parallel with the adjacent edge of Silltl folding plzite. :1 sin- 30nd pair of l'nllling rollers llllnllgltl below the. first-2.1mm tinned l'ohling rollers :llltl at right illlfill thereto, an inclined tapered folding: plat, interposed between the two pairs nl' twirling Millers and having 011C e-tlge substantially parallel with the tirSt-nieniioneil pair til lnhling rollers. a pair el l'e-iuling rollers in l betnren, the llW' 'lrllfiititlllt l lhll! and the w nh l l'eliling plate zm-Jl arming. it

pf twirling roller? ll Hil 'zlillltll fy' parallel with ihe edge of c lllll second lei-ding plate, 11 pair 01' fuelling rpllei's arranged lnryeml and substantially parallel with the liwtqneip tioned pair ef folding rnllers, and a. revvinrl ing device arranged heyrinrl Srllil l: strum tinned thrilling rollers.

11. in a machine (il the ehzirmter seriheri, the euinhiinilinn, with :i frnmel a shaft nieuntetl on will l rsiine :in-l mlnptell t0 siippnrt n roll 0!" paper, a pair if folding rollers arranged beneath said Flml't and at right angles thereto, an inrlineil triangular fulvliug plate interposed hetween will si'n'zft and said folding r llerr. anal lni in we Ltl substantially parallel with mill .l ll tively (iriven roll inie 'p -serl /rtxzishalt and sai l leliling plate and arrang -l .Qnntiully parallel with the niljz'u nt edge ul Szllkl twlding plate, :1 @rcenll mil f l'nliling Tellers arranged lielmv the lirstqnwi tinned folding rullers and :it right angles therein, an inclined tapered l'eltling plat-rein terptw l l eti'icen the tl u ii; il lililingg rollers and having one w'l lauhstzintinllv parallel with the lirstnienliunerl pair el' folding I'OllGXS, 11 pair of let-(ling pullers interposed l'ietvveen the liiu-t-inenti :nwl pair wt folding rollers and the second folding plate and arranged snlli itnminllv parallel with the earlgze el' said i'nl l'el-rling plate, a pair (if lending rnllem arranged heveml and huhr 'itilflll-lll l" paral el with the ll fiilll llllflllwl pair of folding rollers, u rewimling leviee n-rzmgerl lflf l 'flllll lilllll hnxt-inenlinnwl 't'et-iling and means for lniving mill i'ee ling H and mid twirling; roller in uniwin.

12 ln :1, machine ml the vhzirncler (h SLllllC'l :1 frame. it shall numnl'eil in wi l frame illlll mlnpll-(l tn sllppmt :1 roll of paper, menus to u ljust will will of paper on said shzi'lt mul tn ltmgi llmsllfv' :Hl lll will slizil't relzilixelv to wi l l'rzin'ie. :1 pair of hill ingij rollers; *lnhl muzmterl on ,iilltl frame lltfllllllll ll sil'wit lll l zit sillistiuv mil :1?! inrlinwl uppurtwl 

